Blistering Baseball

Wendy and I were watching baseball on television this weekend. Nothing different this weekend from any other in that regard. But this weekend there were interesting games between American and National league teams. These games have an added appeal because whomever is not playing in their home stadium has to adapt their strategy to follow the rules of the other league. Interesting puzzle for managers, I'm sure. We started out watching the Cubs/White Sox but when they had a rain delay the network switched us over to the Mets/Yankees. Excellent! Even more excellent because the Mets were pounding those hated Yankees. It was a beautiful thing.

That game was being played in Shea Stadium, home of the Mets. All stadiums play music during the game, tunes that are blasted out over the loudspeakers and designed to rev up the fans and players alike. At Shea they have what sounds like an organ. A real organ like you'd hear in church if you ever went to church. It was cool to hear some of the classic stadium rally songs blasted out on an organ.

And then the organist plinked out the familiar strains of a song that I have never before heard played in a stadium. Wendy and I looked at each other in disbelief and laughed. Is that what we think it is? It was the opening notes of a song by the Violent Femmes called "Blister in the Sun". It's a very distinctive riff and if you know the song you know what I'm talking about. In my head I could hear the lyrics: "When I'm out walking I strut my stuff yeah I'm so strung out I'm high as a kite I just might stop to check you out."

Real baseball rally material, yes? Well not usually but why not? As is always the case when I hear that song, I thought of Brenna, an old friend of The Boy. Often when she was at our house she'd be plunking out tunes on a guitar. And ever since the day I'd heard her playing and singing "Blister in the Sun", she always comes to mind whenever I hear it. I have no clue as to the meaning of the lyrics and I've given up analysis. It is a catchy tune, be-boppable and upbeat. And it must have helped the Mets because they did a real number on those Yankees. Swept the series. Nice.

"Let me go on like I blister in the sun let me go on big hands I know you're the one"